It was plagued by sameyness.
It was mostly ho-hum.
But was it, really?
Christopher John Rogers was the headliner of day one at New York Fashion Week.
Michael Kors, for his part, has had enough of the citys inferiority complex.
This is New York, he said.
Why would you chase Europe?
Backstage at the Coach fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
I dont even mean the runways.
I mean the streets.
Everywhere you go in the world, people want a sense of ease.
Morgan Spector and Rebecca Hall trekking through the snow at New York Fashion Week.
Here are their answers.
Backstage at the Coach fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
We also have a strong sense of individuality and self-expression; that all feels very New York to me.
Backstage at the Marc Jacobs fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
Im encouraged by it, its goodin fact, I wish we had more of it.
Its a little hard to talk about us taking a leadership position, but I do feel a responsibility.
Morgan Spector and Rebecca Hall trekking through the snow at New York Fashion Week.
Backstage at the Luar fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
Lucien Pages, Lucien Pages Communication
I personally think it was a great season.
New York is always energetic, and this year particularly.
Backstage at the Marc Jacobs fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
Backstage at the Collina Strada fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
But other capitals can compete.
People should be helping them show.
I think across fashion as a whole the emphasis is on superbrandsslick, polished, commercial.
Backstage at the Carolina Herrera fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
I think this is something all cities need to considerfashion will die without its new blood.
You need some downtown next to the uptown.
And can I also say what a joy it was to see Marc Jacobs?
Backstage at the Calvin Klein fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
I hope hell show close-ish to fashion week more often.
Marcs amazing work deserves the biggest audience.
Backstage at the Luar fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
“I think we have to be #NewYorkProud of is that a lot of the brands, I don’t mean just the newcomers, are relatively independent. Joseph Altuzarra still says Joseph Altuzarra.”
New York is a significant place to visit and discover something new.
Backstage at the Collina Strada fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
A perfect spring 2026 NYFW would look like an October Paris Fashion Week.
Tory Burch, fall 2025
Backstage at the Carolina Herrera fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
Wes Gordon breathes optimism and femininity at Carolina Herrera.
Diotimas Rachel Scott continues to be a significant rising star and Prabal Gurung is always a favorite of mine.
Zankov, fall 2025 ready-to-wear
I loved the ease and versatility of the collection.
Backstage at the Calvin Klein fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
this year was somewhere in between.
The Diotima presentation at WSA.
Its only my third NYFW and I still enjoy coming here.
Joseph Altuzarra still says Joseph Altuzarra.
Because the industry, meaning retailers, press, everybody encourages them and helps and invests.
Chloë Sevigny and Martha Stewart at the Jimmy Choo dinner
To me, that’s so quintessentially the American spirit, if you will.
They may have funding, but theyre not part of big groups.
So they have to kind of go it alone.
Having a major European house make its mark in New York—like Alaïa did last season—will continue to reinforce the city’s place as a key fashion capital.
Their shingle is still over the door.
Michael Kors still says Michael Kors, Joseph Altuzarra still says Joseph Altuzarra.
these days in particular was, I think, emotional for everybody.
Backstage at the Thom Browne fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
They were more experimental.
The show itself, the presentation was very dramatic and powerful.
The styling, the clothes, they were cool, they were aspirationalyou wanted to be that girl.
Bode Rec., fall 2025 ready-to-wear
And I think thats what we sometimes want from fashion.
I definitely see this as a glass half-full moment.
We do have some of our children now showing in Europe, but listen, its a free country.
Norma Kamali took fashion to the streets in 1997.
People need to do what they think is best for their businesses; this is a global economy.
Next season, I hope that the mood is going to lighten.
Thats what I hope for.
The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week tents.
But thats a universal hope.
It goes beyond fashion.
Zankov, fall 2025 ready-to-wear
Henry Zankov, Zankov
I was excited to show what weve done these days.
Abbey Lee closes the fall 2025 Khaite show.
I felt very proud of it; it was a strong body of work.
You feel like, is this important?
Not that Im saying that its not.
Willy Chavarria is one of New York’s big names who showed in Paris this season.
And then you also think about the economy.
Everything feels a bit uncertain.
Its not something thats consuming, but its definitely something that is there and you cant deny it.
Christopher John Rogers, fall 2025.
Theres not a lot of international press and buyers that come here.
I know that budgets are tight.
Now theres obviously a new generation.
The SFC was in town to look at the work of Zoe Whalen (above), SC103, Colleen Allen, and Women’s History Museum.
I wish there was a little bit more support.
All of that would be a huge help, and would create a more equal and dynamic fashion week.
The Diotima presentation at WSA.
Theophilio, fall 2025.
Weve been using that wordgrown-up.
He has been missed.
And I think thats very important.
The highlights of the week?
Well obviously Thom Browne.
He is a master storyteller and of theater, and hes leading the way.
New York has always been known out of all four cities as the place that launches new talent.
And as for building their businesses…I dont know if its what they need to do.
I think its what we collectively need to do as a community.
Its more of a question to the community at large and to the city of New York itself.
Can the New York city council offer some landmarks and some city institutions for the designers to show in?
Patti Smith performed at the dinner we hosted with Jimmy Choo and Chloe Sevigny.
There was an undeniable New York-ness in the room that reminded me of the beauty of this city.
NYFW continues to expand into a more globally connected platform that is a creatively charged and seamlessly structured experience.
One of the biggest shifts Id love to see is more consistency in the schedule, specifically location.
In Paris, certain shows are synonymous with specific venues, creating a sense of tradition and familiarity.
The CFDAs NYFW Shuttle was definitely helpful for key show-goers this year to enable flexibility with getting around town.
Backstage at the Thom Browne fall 2025 ready-to-wear show.
Julie Gilhart, Founder and President, Gilhart & Co.
Emerging to mid size brands were full of creativity.
Some were more commercial and some took chances.
It was a good mix.
There used to be a time where one went from New YorkLondonMilanParis in search of creativity and business.
The cost of doing this became significant for buyers and media and was affecting the cost-of-doing-business.
Adding in social media platforms versus print advertising made it easier to experience from afar.
It was efficient for business to be in Paris.
All this aside, I say never take your eyes off of New York.
Its natural DNA is to be a hub of creativity that can turn into business.
I think as a whole city, New York needs to support more of our emerging talents.
The cost of doing a start-up business is more than ever before.
Yes, the shows are still relevant but maybe we need a new system?
True creativity and new experiences bring more visibility.
Things need to change to bring a new rumble in the jungle.
It has to be driven by creativity and experiencenot just business.
Creativity needs to be out front and center.
No doubt those two brands, plus Bode, are reshaping menswear.
Add Thom Browne and you have a very serious bloc of menswear talent.
Norma Kamali took fashion to the streets in 1997.
Perhaps less is more when it comes to the runway format.
We are an incredibly interesting crew.
Going forward, multimedia storytelling will be important.
I like to be innovative, technology and global visibility are powerful [and are my focus].
The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week tents.
It would be lovely to have a clear calendar to make everyones schedule easier.
Id be happier with more presentations which are easier to see and take up so much less time.
I also am always wishing for a centralized venue.
Its unbelievable how many people stop me at fashion week begging me to bring the tents back.
The City of New York should step upand its not about a party at Gracie Mansion.
The big retailers that are still standing should make some noise.
Abbey Lee closes the fall 2025 Khaite show.
Its super exciting to have a fashion brand of that cachet or that is a tentpole within NYFW.
Its significantly important in terms of the pop in of talent were bringing in.
I also think that New York has a certain energy.
If youre Marc Jacobs or Alexander Wang, you built your brand off of that energy.
I have to say, thank god for Catherine Holstein [of Khaite].
I feel like shes doing the same thing, creating an incredible brand here.
The truth is that its a collective energy, because everybody needs something, right?
That to me is the most important part and the necessary part.
Do we want New York to feel like a distant third place?
Its a huge miss.
Not everybody needs to have a huge fashion show.
Willy Chavarria is one of New Yorks big names who showed in Paris this year.
I want Marc Jacobs to come back to the schedule.
It would help NYFW if he was on the official calendar.
Christopher John Rogers, fall 2025.
Standouts were Christopher John Rogers, Henry Zankov, Rachel Scott of Diotima, and Julia Sloan of Sloan.
Other standouts were Khaite, Simkhai and Michael Kors.
Overall, it was a strong fall season with wonderful outerwear, relaxed tailoring, trousers, and dresses.
I feel theres a renewed energy and resurgence among American designers.
And next season Id like to see more emerging designers on the rosterand not just New York designers.
The fashion industry is changing.
Everything is moving quickly which has affected the attention span.
To be relevant in this ever-changing world you gotta adapt.
We all need to investigate new formats and experiences that address the evolving challenges and changes in the world.
In 2025/2026 its the industrynot NYC alonethat risks losing talents if we dont change formats.
Theophilio, fall 2025.
So generally the mood was perhaps for many of us just a little dark.
Its actually very nuanced on how the calendar and fashion week comes together.
But you better perhaps know that Tommy Hilfiger took a season off because theres new management there.
By no means is that an abandonment of New York.
Its a big brand, they showed back on 39th Street, and Calvin himself was there.
You look at Christopher [John Rogers], he came back on the schedule.
Norma Kamali, what she did was brilliant.
Or having Patricio Campillo, he is a young Mexican designer, and he was an LVMH finalist.
There are so many of those independent voices here.
Take Taylor Thompson of 5000: That was such a small show and had such a small audience.
But imagine if people had paid attention and kind of took a chance and wanted to see that.
You want them to keep building their businesses.
